Tell Me a Bedtime Story
by twentysixletters
Summary: After the Giant War, Annabeth and Percy find comfort in one another. But how long will their solace last? When Annabeth receives a mysterious message from her mom, she and Percy are thrown into another adventure that promises danger and risk and threatens not only Olympus but the entire world.
1. The Beginning

**A/N:** **I have not read Blood of Olympus, so this story takes place, presumably, after BoO, but as I do not know what occurred in that book, I don't know where this story fits! PLEASE don't tell me any spoilers! :) R/R, I would appreciate it IMMENSELY. Let me know what I'm doing well and what I could do better!**

I am perched at the edge of my bed, my legs tucked beneath me, my aching fingers pecking at the keys on my laptop. My eyes strain to look at the screen. I would have stayed like that for several more hours if not for a knock at the door.

I immediately recognize it as Percy. He knocks exactly twice. Every time.

"Yeah?" I call, biting the smile out of my lips.

He sticks his head inside the door. "Bad time?"

"Come in," I say. I finish up the command I was typing as he walks into my room.

He sits down beside me and taps the top of my laptop screen, implying that he wants me to shut it off and pay attention to him.

"One sec," I say. I hit a completely useless couple of keys and close the laptop. I turn to him. "Hey."

"Hey," he says, a smile playing at his lips. They're stained blue from whatever midnight snack he has eaten. I take a moment to take him in.

He's wearing a threadbare Camp Half-Blood shirt, a pair of black shorts, and the fluffy pink slippers I got him for Valentine's Day last year. His black hair is even more disheveled than usual, half-wet, simultaneously sticking to his neck and sticking up at the crown of his head.

Finally, I say, "What brings you?"

His eyes flash devilishly, but he doesn't let me in on the thought. "Nothing. What brings you?"

"To my room? What brings me to my room?"

I set my laptop on my bedside table and turn back to him. I muss his hair. "Seaweed Brain."

His smile doesn't so much fade as melt. All the tension in his face disappears as he holds my gaze. Finally, he returns the touch, reaching out to caress my face, tilting up my chin.

I squint at him, a smirk appearing on my face. I lean down slightly, kiss his hand, then lean forward, resting my hands on his crisscross applesauce'd legs. And I kiss him once more, on the lips this time.

He returns this kiss. But after a moment, he pulls back.

"What?" I whisper.

"This is actually not what brings me to your bedroom."

I give him a dubious look, but back off.

"Not that—"

"I know," I say. I've already moved through that thought process. I want him to get to the point. "So what is it?"

"It's kind of a big day tomorrow," he begins.

And it is. It's the day the seven of us present our plan for reform to the two camps. That's actually what I was working on before Percy came in.

"So I was trying to get to bed because early to bed early to rise all that," he says quickly.

"Right."

"And I couldn't sleep."

"Oh," I say. I give him a look. "So you're here to ask if you can sleep with me?"

He shrugs and drops his gaze. He didn't laugh, which is weird because I was going for funny.

"Oh," I realize. "Percy, I get it. I still…I still see it. Every time I close my eyes. I see Tartarus."

"Annabeth," he breathes. "I can't survive Tartarus without you."

My eyes sting. "Yeah," I agree, jumping up, turning away. On my way to the bathroom, I call out, "Just give me a sec to brush my teeth."

I close the door behind me and look at myself in the mirror. I look different than the last time I was at Camp Half-Blood, before Percy went missing and the Giant War began. My face has new scars. There's a sickening burn mark stretching from my left shoulder to my neck. There are tears in my eyes because Percy needs me just as much as I need him.

I splash some water on my face and brush my teeth. I brush my hair, too, for good measure.

Then I return to my room, to my bed, where Percy has already made himself comfortable. He's taken the right side of the bed, so I have to crawl over him. I lay down and find I have no room, between him and the wall.

"This whole twin-sized bed thing isn't going to work for me," I say.

"I don't know. I kind of like it," he says.

"Well, maybe it's okay for tonight." I nuzzle against his shoulder. "But definitely not for the rest of our lives."

He reaches across me and starts twining my hair through his fingers. "Do you think about that sometimes?"

Carefully, I say, "Don't you?"

"Yeah. I mean, when I stop this life of action and adventure."

"Right. Different monster, different girl every night?"

"And sometimes they're one in the same."

I punch him, playfully, in the chest.

There is silence for a moment. I listen to his breathing and to his heartbeat. To the rustling sound of his fingers running through my hair.

"Tell me a bedtime story, Percy."

He laughs. "You know I'm not good with the storytelling."

"You know I find irony in that statement."

He laughs. "Okay. 'Look, I didn't want to be a halfblood.'"

"New story," I say, grinning into his chest.

"Alright." He takes a deep breath. "Once upon a time—"

"Cliché."

"No critiques until the story's over, Wise Girl."

"If it's a good bedtime story, I'll be asleep before it's over."

"Would you like to tell it then?"

"No," I say. "Sorry."

"Alright. Back to it then. Once upon a time there was a girl named…Shannabeth."

I open my mouth to critique, but think better of it. I want to know where this story is going. Plus, his voice is sleepy and sexy.

"She had a brave, cunning, intelligent boyfriend named Perseus. But this story's not really about him. It's about Shannabeth. You see, she's this, this—princess. Right. Princess. And she's locked in a tower because she pissed off Fares, the god of, uh, stare fairs. So he locked her in a tower, which is protected by this giant ugly dragon that sometimes turns into an even uglier buff Asian guy. Well, her boyfriend Perseus is pals with the dragon, so he paid him with a couple Canadian dollars to bug off for a few hours. And Perseus gathered up some of the greatest knights he knew—Hazel the Happy, Jason the Just, and Piper the Prett—nant. Piper the Pregnant. So the four of them planned this great rescue plan. But after they had executed it perfectly and reached the top of the tower, they found that the Princess's chambers were empty. Shannabeth was nowhere to be found.

"So Perseus was super bummed and called up his nigga Nico to see if she was in the land of the dead. Nico reported that she wasn't. She was still alive. So he was like, thank the Gods. I've got to find this girl. So the four of them went back down the tower and set off on an adventure to find this girl, this amazing girl that totally saved herself from the tower, apparently.

"You still awake? Annabeth?"

I am still awake, but I don't say anything. I wait. I want to know what he says when he thinks I am not listening.

"Good night, Shannabeth. You are Elysium."

With that, I sigh into his chest and hug him tighter. I guess if one person can take you from Tartarus to Elysium in one night, you've found the right person.


	2. The Coin

_I am standing. Where, I do not know. I can see nothing but fog. White tendrils of mist swirl around me. I can smell rain. I am both freezing and sweating. I am melting. Gravity pulls at me, and I sink to the ground. I taste mud. And then, I am rising—slowly, quickly. In one direction, in another. I can no longer see. I can no longer feel. I smell the mist. I am the mist. _Goodbye_, a million droplets whisper._

I awake coated in sweat. I throw the blankets off of me and stretch out my arms and legs, trying to rid myself of the smothering heat. I start to leave my bed, but then I see Percy sprawled on the wood floor, his chest rising and falling slowly. He looks almost peaceful.

"Poor thing," I coo. I must have kicked him off the bed. I tiptoe around him and peek out the window. It's still dark. Camp Halfblood rests. But I can't.

I lean down and run my fingers through Percy's hair. "Hey," I whisper. After he doesn't respond, I slap his face a little.

He shakes his head. His eyes flutter open.

"Come here. You fell off the bed. See? You're lying on the floor."

He mumbled, "Your mom's lying on the floor."

I roll my eyes. "Mmkay, Percy. Let's hope she didn't hear that. Get up."

He groans, but obliges. He crawls into bed, and I cover him with the sheet. Then I head to take a shower. I am still sweating. I feel hot, sticky. I turn on cold water, but I still can't cool down. I sit on the shower floor, let the water pound on my back. I can't get the dream out of my head.

It certainly wasn't a nightmare. But it wasn't a walk in the strawberry fields, either. I can't shake the feeling the dream gave me. I evaporated, I became nothing. It was a peaceful death, but it was still death.

Finally, I find the courage to shut off the water. I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel. The mirror is not fogged over. I bend over, feel my hair slap against my chest and shoulders. I wring my hair with the towel, squeezing out the excess water. Then I air dry as I brush my teeth and wash my face and take my vitamins.

I peek out the door and see Percy still fast asleep. I wrap myself in the towel and head to my dresser. I don myself in the regular drab: a pair of old shorts and a Model T-shirt (any color, as long as it's orange).

The first rays of dawn streak through my window. Grabbing my phone and my knife, I rush out of my "apartment" in the Big House. Even in the dimness, Camp Halfblood begins to rise. I hear stirring in the cabins. A couple of nymphs are sneaking out of Aphrodite's cabin.

I like to take morning walks. In the gray of morning, I feel close to my mom. I pray to her in my head, even though I have no clue if she's listening. She has never responded.

_Mom? Good morning. I could use a little wisdom. I'm afraid. I don't know what to do about today. That's my problem. I literally just have no idea what to do. Do you realize how crazy that is!? Even if I don't know what to do sometimes, I can still see options in my head. I see no options. Zero. Everyone is relying on me, but I have no idea. Please…if you're even listening, help._

Suddenly I am angry. I have nothing more to say. I'm at the edge of the forest, and I plunge inside, running as fast as I can. I collapse by the river. Resting on a boulder, breathing heavily, I look around. I realize I'm in the spot where Poseidon claimed Percy, all those years ago. I'm surprised by how young he looks in that memory, how small. I close my eyes, smiling, trying to preserve it.

"Annabeth."

My eyes fly open. I look around but see no one.

"Annabeth."

I look up. An owl rests on a branch ten feet above my head. It swoops down and lands in front of me. It ruffles its feathers, screeches, and then, in a human voice, says, "Annabeth."

I stare at the creature with the impossible voice. I have seen thousands of unbelievable things in my life. I am not at all startled by a talking owl. It's the voice—it's my mom's. "Athena?"

"Annabeth." It is the exact same tone as before, like a recording.

"Yes, Athena?"

It screeches and takes off, leaving a distinct bird smell on the air. I cough. Then I see what was left by the bird. I crouch down and pick up the item, turn it in my hand. "No," I murmur. "No, no, no."

I'm running again. This time, toward camp. I sprint through the grounds, ignoring the campers who try to speak to me. I bound up the steps in the Big House, barge through the door to my apartment, and shake Percy awake.

"What the—gods—what are you—"

"Percy, look," I whimper.

He sits up, rubs the sleep out of his eyes, and peers at the palm-sized silver coin I hold in front of his face. His jaw slacks, and he squints. He grabs the coin, turns it over in his hand, then looks up at me, confused.

"Athena left it for me," I answer his unasked question.

"Athena? But—"

Impatient, I take back the shiny, ancient coin. He's moving to slow for me. I need to think, I need to act.

This morning I prayed to my mom. I asked her for wisdom, for help. This is her answer. There, scratched into the coin in ancient Greek: _Goodbye._

**A/N I never even thought of continuing this, so when I saw the reviews I was surprised and excited. I've decided to continue the story. Thank you to everyone who has read this story! It makes me literally SO happy! I love getting to share my writing with people who share my love of these characters/worlds!**** Okay, speech over.**


	3. The Anchor

"Annabeth, calm down," Percy says.

I stop my pacing long enough to give him an annoyed look. "Calm up!" I command. I can't believe he is just _sitting _there. "Percy, I swear to gods, I realize that's not a real phrase. But you understood the meaning, didn't you?"

He rubbed his forehead, hiding an eyeroll, clearly wishing I hadn't woken him up this early. His relationship with sleep never ceases to annoy me. He's not himself until he's been up and at 'em for a while and had breakfast. And sometimes second breakfast.

Unable to get his attention any other way, I straddle and kiss him. After a moment, he responds, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me against him. "Okay," I say loudly, standing up. I hold out a finger. "Now listen. We have a crisis to deal with. I'm going to die."

"You're not going to die!" he says, exasperated. He forces himself to get up and walks to the bathroom. I follow him.

"Can I get a little privacy?" he huffs.

"No."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You're not going to get rid of me! You need to listen."

"Fine! At least turn around."

I face the wall and continue to talk. "Okay, I went—ew, don't pee so loudly—I went for a walk in the forest, and I was praying to Athena. Then, this owl came out of nowhere and was saying my name, but it was in Athena's voice. Then it left this coin for me. Then I came back here to show you."

"That's all?"

"Oh, wait. Also, I had this prophetic dream this morning that I died."

Percy turns on the faucet, and I think it safe to turn around. "How did you die?"

"I evaporated and turned into mist."

"Doesn't sound too bad."

"You would think," I agree. "But it was really freaky. Normally, I wouldn't get worked up over it. However, the dream plus the coin equals worked up. So I'm talking to Athena, asking for wisdom. Her response? 'Goodbye.' So, since she has never responded to me before, it would be highly unlikely for her to respond today. But she did. Therefore, it must be serious." I take a breath. "I don't know, maybe you had to be there to understand the gravity of the situation. Do you understand the gravity of the situation?"

Percy turns to face me. "No. But I understand you're freaked out, and it's kind of freaking me out."

I follow him out of the bathroom. "Okay, so first things first. We need to go talk to Chiron."

"Alright, but I need to get dressed first." He slides on the pink slippers, then shoots them a quizzical look. "You know what I just realized, Annabeth? I'm going to have to do the walk of shame. All the way to the Poseidon cabin."

I manage a smile, wishing I were in a better mood to fully appreciate this moment. "Leave the slippers and you won't look too weird. Oh, and sneak out the back."

He sighs and kicks the slippers under my bed. "Meet you at the pavilion in five?"

"Okay."

He wraps me in a hug and whispers, "Don't worry. It's going to be okay."

"Okay," I murmur.

He kisses me on the cheek and makes his exit. After he disappears from sight, I take the coin out of my pocket and analyze it. When I first saw it, I thought it was another silver drachma bearing the mark of Athena. But it is not. It's shiny silver, but the surface and edges are rough, malformed. It bears no other mark but the engraving of _goodbye_, which is shaky and uneven.

I slip it into my pocket and head for the dining pavilion. It's still early, so only about half of the campers are already eating breakfast. Piper waves when she see me, but I don't have the energy to make polite conversation now. I wave back, smile, and hold up a finger like _one minute_. She shoots me a thumbs up. As I lean against a column, I remember Percy's faux pas last night, almost calling Piper pretty in my presence. She _is _pretty. Nothing wrong with noticing that. Though I do enjoy watching him squirm.

Think of the devil.

"Hey," says Percy. He is now wearing tennis shoes.

"Hey." I slip my hand into his, and we make our way over to Piper and Jason's table. "It's our dear pals Jason the Just and Piper the—what was it again, Percy?"

Percy pretends not to have heard me and asks Jason something about swords.

"What was that about?" Piper asks me.

I wink like I'll tell her later when we're not around the boys. (That will give me time to make something up that isn't awkward.)

She wiggles her eyebrows. "Yeah, we need to talk about some stuff." She glances over at Jason suggestively.

I refuse breakfast, too nervous to eat, but I quickly drink a cup of coffee. Percy and Jason are still talking in depth about swords, but Piper keeps trying to talk politics, how we plan on bringing the camps together. Half of me is too concerned with this "goodbye" message to think about that, and the other half just wants to procrastinate it as long as possible since I have no idea what we should do. Throwing caution to the wind, I whisper to Piper that Percy stayed in my room last night. Daughter of Aphrodite that she is, this keeps her occupied for a while. Between whispered juicy details I'm making up as I go along, I try to rush Percy, who is taking forever to eat. Finally, he polishes off his blue blueberry muffin, and we take off to find Chiron, promising to be back soon, maybe even before Leo decides to drag his butt up there.

As we walk around camp searching for Chiron, I feel the anxiousness and stress build up inside me, and it's turning into a huge ball of anger. I really, really want to go kill some dummies in the arena. I want to escape in battle. Battle is simple. Well, it's hard, but that's what makes it simple. You focus, you do things, you plan more things to do, you do them. You win or you lose (mostly win). Life is hard. There are so many different paths, so many choices. And you can't win. You can have small victories, but then there's always something else. And something else, and another thing at the same time, and—

"Percy, make some jokes. I'm driving myself crazy thinking."

"Driving yourself crazy? Girl, you already done crashed! You been at crazy for a while now. Do you have amnesia?"

"Okay, sweetie. I meant tell some jokes that are not lame."

He hit imaginary drums. "Ba dum tsh!" His face went serious. "Okay, did you ever hear the one about the river nymph at the Hoover dam?"

"Nope, what about her?"

I try to district myself with Percy's (still lame) jokes, but I can't shake this feeling of dread. I feel the weight of the coin in my pocket, like an anchor tied around my waist, dragging me underwater, compressing my chest. I can't breathe. Reaching for Percy's hand, I find the best thing you can have when you're drowning: your loving boyfriend.

In spite of myself, a smile tugs at my lips. _It also helps when he's the son of Poseidon and can breathe underwater. (Ba dum tsh!)_

**A/N: What's up readers! I'm getting a little stuck trying to write, basically, in the future since I don't know what happens in BoO. But! Something crazy is about to happen that will take the story in a completely different direction, so I won't have to worry about that anymore. I'm enjoying writing this so much, by the way! **


	4. The Twin

We find Chiron near the volleyball courts talking to a new girl who is so young one that her two front teeth are missing. She folds her little hands under her chin and sticks out her bottom lip. "Pleeease?"

He huffs a great sigh. "I'm sorry, child. I cannot allow this."

"But I always wanted a pony!"

"I'm sorry, but that is not my responsibility to fill."

"Just one ride?"

"For the last time, child. No, you cannot ride on my back! I have an image to uphold!"

Percy swoops to the girl's rescue. He crouches down and says, "Hey, I know what. Come talk to me tomorrow at breakfast. I'll arrange a ride for you that's _so_ much better than Chiron." He leans in and lowers his voice. "It's a Pegasus. A flying horse."

Her eyes widen. Her jaw drops. An earsplitting shriek erupts from her mouth. Percy leaps up and covers his ears. "Annabeth, what did I do?"

"No, hun," I say, patting his shoulder. "That's a sign you did good. She's happy."

"That's happiness?"

The girl stops screaming. She hugs Percy, blushes, and runs off.

"I think you've got a new girlfriend," I say. I allow a second's smirk, then get to business. "Chiron. I have a problem."

"Yes?"

I take the coin out of pocket and hand it to him. I quickly recount the morning's events and await his wisdom.

"Huh," he says, rubbing his beard. "Interesting." He hands back the coin. "I haven't heard anything that would foretell these events. Perhaps we should wait it out?"

"Wait it out," I repeat.

Percy shifts awkwardly.

I don't understand why he isn't taking this seriously. I try not to let my annoyance tinge my voice. "Chiron, I feel like this is not the kind of situation we should just wait out. I feel like we need to act." I make a chopping motion.

"Right, I understand. But I'm not sure we can act. We don't have much to go on, and, frankly, we have bigger problems at the moment."

I can't think of anything to say. I turn and just start walking. Where, I'm not sure.

Percy is right behind me. "Annie—"

I turn, eyes wide. "What the heck did you just call me?"

He blinks. "Yeah, sorry. I'm not sure where that came from. Bethy? No, that's worse. What's your middle name again?"

"Percy, help me send an Iris message." I crouch by the river, and wait for him to control the water to make a rainbow. "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering." I toss in the coin Athena gave me.

"What?" Percy shouts. "Did you mean to do that?"

"I'm seeing if it has value." The coin falls straight through, and the mist fades. I scoop up the coin and put it back in my pocket. "Okay, Percy, again please." I toss in a golden drachma. "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Athena." No go.

"Did you really think that was going to work, 'Nabeth?"

"Do not call me that, Ercy. It was worth a shot. She sent me this earlier, so maybe she would still be in contact? Maybe she would take pity on me? No, no." I close my eyes, rub my temples. I retrace the events of this morning, examining each detail, annotating each thought. My eyes snap open. "I have a theory. Do the rainbow, and then, like, go over there."

He sets up the rainbow and runs down river a few feet. I toss in a drachma, make my request, and wait. "Percy, you got anything?" He shakes his head and runs back over. "What was the point of that?"

I stand up and wipe the dirt off my knees. "The point was to see if the IM would work for you. It didn't."

"So, what's that mean?"

"It means Chiron lied to me. I'm about to boss you around, is that okay?"

He shrugs. "Okay."

"Go talk to the kids from the minor gods' cabins. Find out if anything is off with them. Anything out of the ordinary. Talk to as many as you can and meet me at the Big House in a half hour." Without waiting for his response, I take off at a run. I do a quick lap around the dining pavilion, but as I suspected, Leo is not there. I knock on the door of the Hephaestus cabin. "LEO!" I shout.

"COME IN!"

The cabin is empty except for Leo, who sits on his bunk tying his shoe.

"Hey," I say. "I need your help."

"Ooh," he says, grinning. "With what? Look!" He points to his shoe. "I can tie a mean knot."

"I'll be needing your metalworking expertise." I toss him the coin. "Tell me everything you can about this coin."

He holds it close to his face, then at arm's length. He runs his thumb over the edge, then licks the surface. He tosses it in the air a few times. "This is a coin," he concludes.

"Thank you, Leo, I hadn't considered that."

"But not just any coin. This was made by Hephaestus."

"How on Earth did you come to that conclusion?"

He rummages in his tool belt and plucks out another coin. "Because I received this one earlier just like it. I woke up to my hand being on fire. I wasn't like _too_ surprised, but I still screamed a little bit. Then I heard someone say my name. I wasn't too sure, but after the third time I definitely knew it was my dad. I was like, 'Dad?' Then my hand got off fire, and in it was this coin."

"Gods of Olympus," I mutter. I take the two coins and examine them. They are identical down to the last scratch. "Leo, I mean no offense, but why would Hephaestus make such shoddy coins?"

"I wondered the same thing when I found mine a few minutes ago. However, upon seeing yours, I realize. It's so—"

"—so we know they were made identically bad on purpose. By the same person. Yes."

"Annabeth, that was slightly annoying."

"Yes." I pocket the coins and clap. "Alright, let's get going."

"Going where?"

"To find our parents."


	5. The Quest

"Annabeth, slow down," Leo protests. "Physically and mentally."

Grudgingly, I slow my pace and make my steps equal his. "What are you not getting?"

"Hm, let's see." He tugs at his chin. "You told me we have to find our parents. Then you walked off. Do you see how..?"

I sigh. "Sorry, I'm a little stressed out right now. One thing after another. After another."

"After another. Life of a demigod."

"I just thought we were kind of…done? You know? I guess it was pretty stupid to think that."

"Annabeth," he begins, smiling at me. "There are a lot of things I would call you. But stupid is not one of them."

"Thanks, Leo." I can't help but smile back.

"Sometimes rude, a little high-maintenance…"

I stick out my tongue. This kid makes me feel like a longsuffering big sister. "Okay. So. The coins we both received say 'goodbye' on them. At first, I though Athena was saying goodbye to me because I was going to die. A little arrogant."

"Right, add that to my list."

I punch him in the shoulder. "But then I realized that this is not at all Athena's style. She has done things to help me in the past, indirectly or directly. Why, if I was going to die, would she send a coin to tell me goodbye? Why would she tell me goodbye at all? What's the point?" I shudder. My relationship with my mom is obviously confusing. Children are supposed to be raised by their parents. They're supposed to be loved, shown affection, disciplined, guided through life. I have received bread crumbs from my mother. I treasure them, but isn't that sad? I know she's a goddess and she has bigger things to deal with, but—I don't know—shouldn't your kids be more important? My mind tells me that I shouldn't be hurt, but I can't change the feeling in my heart, in the pit of my stomach. An evil thought escapes through the barriers I've put up in my mind: _the _audacity _of the gods, to have children and go against the very nature of parenthood; how dare they have children. _With an act of will, I push the thoughts and feelings away, adding to the knot of anger and confusion I already have swirling in my chest. "Clearly, the message is for me, but not about me. It's a call to action, a pleading for help. And you have received one too."

"But why would they say 'goodbye' if they want us to help them?"

"Great point. Can you think of anything that would get your attention more?"

He shrugs.

"That's my working theory, anyway."

We arrive at the dining pavilion, and Leo grabs breakfast while I sneak up to Percy. He's talking to one of Hypnos's sons, so I hang back and listen.

"—anything out of the ordinary?"

"No. Is this like a camp survey?"

"No, I'm just wondering how things are going."

"Um, okay. Good?"

"Okay, nice talking to you."

"Yeah, man. Catch you later."

The guys stalks off, and Percy spots me leaning against a column. He walks up and shakes his head. "I have had way too many awkward conversations in the past few minutes."

"Did you find out anything?"

"Other than the fact that Yzma will 'tell Annabeth about this?' No."

"What's that about?"

"She thought I was hitting on her."

"Hm, well, we'll hear her side of the story." I smirk at him. "So did you get to talk to all the counselors?"

"Everyone except Butch. No one has seen him."

I bite my lip. "I hope he's okay."

"Do you think it's connected to the failed IM?"

"Could be." Then I tell him about Hephaestus giving Leo an identical coin.

"So there is definitely something up with the gods." I can see worry in his eyes.

"We need to confront Chiron."

"I agree…"

Leo walks up to us, wielding a half-eaten chicken leg. "'Sup?" he says around a mouthful.

"Let's go," I say. And we march to the Big House.

We find Chiron on the porch sitting in his wheelchair, playing cards with Dionysus's son Pollux. Chiron flashes an uncomfortable smile. "Hello."

"Can we talk to you?" I ask, trying to sound polite. By the way Percy elbows me, I can tell it wasn't that polite.

"Oh, oh. I'm sorry. I'm much too busy at the moment."

"Playing cards?"

"Pollux and I are in the middle of…of—"

"Playing cards?" Pollux suggests lamely.

Chiron laughs without mirth. "Right, Pollux. I am so, so sorry. We'll have to reschedule this meeting."

"Okay?" He sets down his cards and walks down the steps, flashing us a wink as he passes by.

Chiron looks around, then leads us into the Big House. We take seats around the ping-pong table. He smiles. "Now what is it you need to talk to me about?"

"We know something is wrong," I say. "Leo, show him your coin. They're identical. He received it from Hephaestus the same way I received mine. This isn't a coincidence, and we know you're not telling us the whole truth."

Chiron tugs at his beard, looking away, choosing his words carefully. "Annabeth, I have a duty to—"

"I'm sorry," I interrupt, flinching. "But so do I. You withheld information from me when Percy was missing, and—" _And I'm still having trouble forgiving you for that. _"But, Chiron, don't you think we've been through so much?"

"Too much," Percy adds.

"Too much to be treated like children? We're not kids anymore. And if this involves us—which it obviously does—don't we deserve to know what's going on?"

Percy wraps his arm around my shoulder.

Chiron is quiet for a long time. "I'd bet my hooves there would be a prophecy."

"Would be?" echoes Percy.

"Rachel has not been seen in a week."

My heart sinks. "What?" Percy shouts.

"I've heard rumors for weeks. Nymphs missing, satyrs going on quests and never coming back. Then Rachel disappeared. It had to be reported to Zeus, and he ordered it be kept silent. You understand? We've just finished a war, how could…" He rubs his forehead. "Yesterday I got word that many minor gods and goddesses have been disappearing sporadically. This morning was the big blow: Athena and Hephaestus. I think it's only the beginning."

"So our coins…" Leo trails off.

"They're our only clue," I finish. I look at Chiron. "What do we do?"

"What do we always do?" he says darkly. "A quest."


	6. The Rainbow

It is a conundrum. How can we go on a quest if we don't know what we're looking for? It's a literary abomination. Nonetheless, we pack our bags. We stock up on nectar and ambrosia. We gather up the pointiest weapons, the deadliest magic, the stupidest courage. And we bid ado to the peace we thought we had won. We trudge back into battle. Percy and I.

Jason, Leo, and Piper sit with us round the campfire. All the other demigods have gone to their cabins, but we sit out here, late into the night, talking, joking, planning. Most of all trying to avoid the disappointment weighing in our chests.

Perhaps the others don't feel it as much as Percy and I do. As we sit on this log, hand in hand, we feel so much older than we are. Than we should have to be. We've been through so much. I suppose demigod years are like dog years. By that measure, I'm nearly a hundred.

I finger the clay-bead necklace around my throat. So much is contained in these tiny beads. So much loss, so much struggle, so much joy. I squeeze Percy's hand tighter, trying to focus on all the good memories I've accumulated as a halfblood.

"I'm tired," Percy whispers to me.

"Me too." I wonder if he realizes just how tired I am.

"I just wish Frazel were here," says Leo, throwing a handful of pebbles into the fire.

"Frazel?" Jason questions.

Piper giggles. "Frank and Hazel. Obviously."

"It's their ship name," Leo explains.

"Ship…name?" Jason repeats slowly.

"Don't question it," Piper says, patting his hand. "Stay innocent."

"Whatever." He shrugs. "Yeah, I wish they were here, too. Stupid Romans."

"Maybe we'll run into them," Leo says. "If they're not too busy makin' babies."

"Leo, that's disgusting," Jason says, giving him a strange look. "What is she, like, twelve?"

"Stay innocent, sweetie," Piper says again.

Percy lets go of my hand and stands up. "Guys, I gotta go to bed. See you in the morning."

I stretch and stand up. "Me too. There's nothing better than a good night's sleep before a quest."

"How 'bout a prophecy?" Leo suggests, throwing up his hands.

I laugh. "Okay, you've got me beat. See you in the morning."

Percy and I should be walking in opposite directions, but he follows me to the Big House. I think we're passed caring about our reputations. They should care more that we keep saving their lives. I wince.

"Percy, I'm feeling really pessimistic tonight." My voice is a whisper in the still, dark night.

"I can tell." He isn't that great at whispering.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Meth? That makes people feel better, right?"

I laugh. "We're not doing meth. We're half-bloods. Heroes. Wanna huff some Greek fire?"

"Roll a blunt of ambrosia?"

"Shoot up nectar?"

"Snort Hermes' vitamins?"

I crack up. "Want to know what that was called in ancient Greek? Moly."

"Moly." The word comes out as a bark of laughter.

"We're great examples for the young 'nes, huh?"

We tip-toe up the steps in the Big House and try not to let the door to my room creak as we open it. Percy shuts the door behind us, and then we just stand there, looking at each other, suddenly at a loss for what to do.

I can't help but notice the incredible scent of him, a mixture of sea salt and campfire smoke. I notice the stubble on his chin. The wave of dark hair falling into his eyes. The curve of his lips, slightly parted. The soft tee-shirt I want to melt into. Melt under.

I force myself to look into his eyes. I open my mouth, trying to find the right words. Nothing comes out. When do I not have words? When can I not—

He kisses me. I smile, amazed this Seaweed Brain can muddle mine so easily.

"What's so funny?" he breathes, pulling away slightly.

"Nothing." I grab his shoulders and pull him back into the kiss.

A moment later, I hear a scratching sound from the other side of the room and someone clear their throat. I turn to see a shaggy head poking into my window and a pair of hands clutching the frame. "A little help here?" the boy says in a strained voice.

"What the—?"

Percy disentangles himself from me and rushes to the window. He holds out a hand, which the boy grasps, and he pulls him in through the window. It's a tight squeeze for the bulky boy, but he manages. He dusts off his jeans and looks up, and I finally get a view of his face. He says awkwardly, "Sorry for—ah—ruining your moment."

"Butch?" I exclaim, jogging over to the son of the rainbow goddess. "I'm glad you're okay. No one's seen you all day."

"Why were you MIA, bro?" Percy asks. "And climbing into my girlfriend's window?" he adds jokingly.

He rubs his sweaty forehead. His clothes and hands are filthy. "I had a—sorry, can I sit down?" He's out of breath. "I had a weird dream in the middle of the night, and I felt like my mom was telling me to go into the forest to contact her. So I did. I IM'd her, but the connection was real shaky. It was—she just looked so distressed. She told me she felt really sick, like she was being drained of her power or something. I don't know. It was hard to understand her. She was barely whispering, and the picture kept going in and out. She told me I—I had to save her. Then she was gone."

"Gods, I'm sorry," Percy says.

I nod sympathetically. "So why have you been gone all this time? Why didn't you tell Chiron?"

"Here's the weird thing." He shifts uncomfortably. "After the IM faded, I fell into a trance. I—I think I'm being possessed by my mom."

**A/N: Thank you SO much to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, or followed. You guys ROCK! :) Let me know what you think of the story so far, and feel free to let me know if I could be doing anything better! Until next time~~ **


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